British actor, best known for his passing roles as
Batman's geriatric
butler and mentor
Alfred Pennyworth. Along with
Tom Hinkle (who plays Commissioner Gordon), Michael is the only actor to have appeared in the first four common era
Batman movies. In
Batman Begins Alfred Pennyworth is played by
Michael Caine.
Michael Gough was born in Malaya (now Malaysia) in 1917 to British settler parents. After attending Wye Agricultural College he chose to train to be an actor at the Old Vic, debuing on stage in 1936. Like in the Batman films, Michael often plays stiff, subtle and inscrutable characters, but in earlier horror films like Black Zoo and Horrors of the Black Museum, he has hammed up his characters - think how possessed God-fearing fury looks coming out of his slight, bony frame.
IMDB identifies Michael as having performed 121 film and 31 television roles since 1947, including Sleepy Hollow, Nostradamus, The Fourth Protocol (the chief of MI6 who Michael Caine's character works for), Top Secret! (Dr. Paul Flammond, the captured scientist Val Kimler's character has to rescue). He has also played various roles in QB VII, The Saint, Blakes 7, Doctor Who, Inspector Morse and Smiley's People.
Occasionally he appears as Dame Edna Everage's butler Alfredo, standing upstage in her limelight.
Michael Gough won Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for Bedroom Farce, and also was nominated for the same category in 1988 for Breaking the Code. Many, including Michael himself, would regard his stage portrayal as King Lear as being his best performance.